The Crime Report (https://thecrimereport.org/category/courts/page/2/)
An Urban Institute study of Kentucky’s landmark youth justice reform law passed in 2014 found that nearly nine out of 10 youth completed diversion programs and avoided formal court involvement. Nevertheless, race and ethnic disparities in the diversion programs were “significant and persisted,” and recidivism rates didn’t statistically change.
Three women now sitting on federal appeals courts are considered President Donald Trump’s top candidates to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was known for her fight for gender justice, but many votes in other cases “revealed a significant willingness to support conservative principles,” a law professor writes.
Supreme Court candidate Amy Coney Barrett wrote an influential decision last year that made it easier for students accused of sexual assault to challenge universities’ handling of their cases,
A judge is yet to decide whether the trial of four ex-police officers charged in George Floyd’s death may be televised. Supporters of audio and visual coverage say the high-profile nature of Floyd’s death, the outrage that led to protests, and courtroom restrictions caused by the pandemic make this the right time to allow cameras in court.
“Our nation has lost a jurist of historic stature,” said Chief Justice John Roberts about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died at 87. President Donald Trump is expected to try for Senate approval of a replacement who would tilt the court further to the right.
The court stopped live broadcasts of Philadelphia criminal trials after District Attorney Larry Krasner argued that the COVID-19 procedure opened a new window for harassment of witnesses, victims and defendants.
Official misconduct contributed to the false criminal convictions of more than 50 percent of innocent people who were later exonerated, according to a report from the National Registry of Exonerations.
One study found that defendants whose bail hearings were conducted remotely had much higher bond amounts set by judges. Meanwhile, some federal and state courts are allowing in-person proceedings to resume under COVID-19 guidelines.
Chicago judges try to resolve murder cases within two years but many take longer. Some defendants would rather stay in local jails than go to state prisons for long terms.